K Stop Right There! How to Properly Remove Something From Your Eye
We’ve all been there— you’re walking down the street or having a conversation with someone when all of a sudden you get something in your eye. Not only can having dirt, dust, or an eyelash trapped in your eye be uncomfortable, but it can make it also make it nearly impossible to see. Although your initial reaction may be to rub your eye or reach into it with dirty fingers, these two methods can cause more damage than good. This article will discuss things to avoid when getting something out of your eye and how to flush it properly. Read on to learn more.
Don’t Rub Your Eyes
Babies do it, kids do it, and yes, even adults are known to rub their eyes when they get tired. When you have something stuck in your eye, make sure that you don’t rub it. Not only could rubbing your eyes cause the dirt to scratch your cornea, but rubbing can also place a lot of undue pressure on your eyes which can blur your vision and cause permanent damage.
Don’t Use Your Fingers
Your first inclination to get something out of your eye will likely be to use your fingers. However, unless your hands are clean and you know exactly what you’re doing, this is one of the last things you should do. Dirty fingers can spread bacteria across your eyes, while the pressure from your fingers can scratch your cornea. If you don’t have anything else to get the dirt out of your eyes, you can use a clean finger, but it’s not recommended.
Try Flushing It
The best method that we at Papale Eye Center encourage our patients to use to get something out of their eye is to flush it with warm, clean water. How do you do this exactly? Simply take an eyedropper and fill it with clean, lukewarm water. With a clean hand, hold your infected eye open and use the other hand to gently squeeze the water into your eye. The water will work the object out of your eye without scratching it in the process.
Having something trapped in your eye can be beyond obnoxious. And although you’ll want to act fast to get it out, it’s important that you do it the right way. To learn more about eye health and care, contact the doctors at Papale Eye Center today!